Home / Divorce Home Appraisal

Divorce Home Appraisal

The house is usually the largest asset in a divorce, and its value is often the most contested number in the case. A divorce appraisal is an independent, written opinion of market value from a state-licensed appraiser, and it is how most couples, attorneys, and courts turn "what the house is worth" from an argument into a figure.

When a divorce appraisal is used

• Buyouts. One spouse keeps the home and pays the other for their share. The appraised value sets the buyout math.
• Settlement negotiation. Attorneys and mediators use the appraisal to divide the marital estate on paper even when the house will be sold later.
• Court. When the case is litigated, each side may hire an appraiser, or the parties may agree on a single neutral appraiser; depending on the state and the judge, courts may encourage or appoint a joint expert when the two sides' values diverge.

The valuation date question

States differ on the date that matters: depending on the state and the case, the home may be valued as of the date of separation, the date of filing, or as close to trial or settlement as possible, and the choice can change the number substantially in a moving market. Ask your attorney which date applies before ordering. Appraisers can produce retrospective values (for example, value as of the separation date last year) as an ordinary assignment.

Choosing an appraiser both sides can accept

An appraiser bound by USPAP must be impartial regardless of who pays, and a credible divorce appraiser will decline to "hit a number" for either spouse. Practical tips:

• Pick someone licensed in your state (verify on the state board lookup or the federal ASC National Registry) with residential experience in your market.
• If the goal is a joint appraisal, agree on the appraiser in writing before the inspection, and make both spouses named clients, so both have the same access to the report and the same opportunity to provide information. (When one spouse hires an appraiser alone, the report belongs to that client; the value conclusion must still be impartial, but access is not automatic.)

What it costs

A single-family divorce appraisal often lands in the $300–$600 range, varying by region and property, with retrospective valuation dates sometimes priced higher. Two competing appraisals plus a review appraisal in a litigated case obviously cost more than one agreed neutral report, which is a reason many couples start with a joint appraiser.